BJP Retains Chhapra Seat with Impressive Victory Margin
In a significant development from the Bihar assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Chhoti Kumari emerged victorious from the Chhapra constituency, dealing a blow to the Rashtriya Janata Dal. The BJP candidate secured a comfortable win with a margin of 7,600 votes against her nearest competitor Shatrughan Yadav of the RJD.
The election results revealed that Kumari gathered an impressive 86,845 votes, while Yadav managed to secure 79,245 votes. Independent candidate Rakhi Gupta trailed significantly behind with only 11,488 votes, indicating a clear two-party contest in this General category seat.
Historical Context and Voter Turnout
Chhapra assembly segment, which forms part of the Saran parliamentary constituency, has traditionally been a BJP stronghold. The party's dominance in this region continues as Dr C N Gupta had previously retained the seat in the 2020 assembly polls with 75,710 votes, representing 45.5% of the total vote share.
Back in 2015, the same BJP candidate had clinched victory with 71,646 votes, accounting for 45.3% of votes cast. This year witnessed exceptionally high voter engagement, mirroring the historic 67.13% turnout recorded across Bihar during the elections.
The electoral process unfolded in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with remarkable participation from women voters who outpaced male voters significantly. Women recorded an impressive 71.78% turnout compared to 62.98% for men, highlighting their increasing involvement in the democratic process.
Statewide Counting and Security Arrangements
Across Bihar, the fate of 2,616 candidates hung in balance as counting commenced across 46 centers spread over 38 districts. The Election Commission implemented rigorous security measures, establishing a two-tier system with Central Armed Police Forces managing security inside counting halls and Bihar Police securing the outer perimeter.
The counting process began with postal ballots, followed by Electronic Voting Machine votes starting from 8:30 am as per standard election protocols. All eyes remained fixed on whether the NDA alliance, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the BJP, would maintain its grip on power or if the INDIA bloc under RJD's Tejashwi Yadav would stage an unexpected comeback.
Exit polls conducted prior to the results had predicted a strong performance for the ruling NDA coalition, though the opposition remained optimistic about creating a political upset. The final results will determine whether Bihar continues under NDA governance or embarks on a new political direction.
